Hot Chocolate & Cocoa Recipes

Basic Hot Chocolate for One

Rich and creamy, this hot chocolate is a mini meal.

1 cup (250 mL) milk
2 oz (50 g) of a 70% cocoa chocolate bar, broken into pieces

Pour milk into small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until milk is steamy. Reduce heat to low. Add broken pieces of chocolate and whisk until chocolate is melted. Pour into a mug and serve.

Each serving made with skim milk contains: 416 calories; 13 g protein; 24 g total fat (14 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat); 38 g carbohydrates; 6 g fibre; 127 mg sodium

Basic Cocoa for One

This is an adult version that’s not too sweet. Buy a mini whisk, sometimes called a cocoa whisk, to make sure your cocoa is lump free.

1 cup (250 mL) milk
2 Tbsp (30 mL) natural cocoa powder
1 Tbsp (15 mL) cane sugar or sweetener of choice to taste

Pour 3/4 cup (180 mL) milk into small saucepan. Heat over medium heat until steamy.

Add cocoa powder and sugar to the remaining 1/4 cup (60 mL) of milk and whisk until blended. Whisk cocoa paste into steamy milk. Stir until frothy. Pour into a mug and serve.

Each serving made with skim milk contains: 180 calories; 11 g protein; 2 g total fat (0 g sat fat, 0 g trans fat); 31 g carbohydrates; 2 g fibre; 120 mg sodium

Adapted from Ultimate Foods for Ultimate Health: And don’t forget the chocolate! by Mairlyn Smith and Liz Pearson (Whitecap Books, 2007).

Tip: Not sweet enough? Add extra cane sugar or your favourite natural sweetener such as honey.

Chai-Infused Cocoa

This chai-inspired hot cocoa has the antioxidant powers of cocoa, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, and cardamom to help ward off a cold and warm your soul.

2 cups (500 mL) milk
6 whole green cardamom seeds
4 whole black cardamom seeds
1/2 tsp (2 mL) each of whole black pepper corns, whole allspice, and whole cloves
1/4 cup (60 mL) natural cocoa powder
2 Tbsp (30 mL) cane sugar or sweetener of choice to taste
1 tsp (5 ml) ground cinnamon

Pour 1 2/3 cup (400 mL) of milk into small saucepan. Add green and black cardamom seeds, black peppercorns, allspice, and cloves to pot. Heat over medium heat until milk starts to steam. Cover, reduce heat to low, and steep spices and milk together for 10 minutes.

Make a paste with the cocoa powder, sugar, cinnamon, and remaining 1/3 cup (80 mL) of milk. Whisk into steamy milk. Stir until frothy. Strain into two mugs. Serves 2.

Each serving made with skim milk contains: 180 calories; 11 g protein; 1 g total fat (0.6 g sat fat, 0 trans fat); 31 g carbohydrates; 2.6 g fibre; 121 mg sodium

source: "Hot Chocolate & Cocoa", from alive #326, December 2009